Let's Paddle The Hillsborough

Today Bicycle Stories traded the bicycle for the kayak this afternoon and paddled the waters of the Hillsborough River from Lowry Park underneath Florida and Nebraska Avenues and I-275 to the Park Circke neighborhood in Seminole Heights.

Here's the most humble home I saw on the river today.


Back on land, let's face it, Florida and Nebraska Avenues are not exactly the stuff of a garden city. Lots of car lots, repair shops, thrift stores. But on the water, it's a whole different world. Check it out.






This vessel has seen better days.

Supporting Sharrows and the BAM

Our local politicians should know there are many people in the Tampa Bay who care deeply about improving bicycling and who act on their concerns. One of those folks is Michael Ploch of Riverview, who created the Sharrows reflective design for vests and jerseys, including this one. Here's Michael at the Flatwoods park seven-mile loop.

He is also behind the creation of a regionwide paved trail system that SWFBUD is calling the BAM -- for Bicycle Area Mobility.

Michael will be selling very cool BAM T-shirts he designed showing the BAM map on the front at the Feb. 19 Swap Meet at the Taco Bus St. Pete on Central Avenuer. Fellow bicyclist Nico Stearley designed the BAM map.

Thank you Michael and Nico for supporting BAM.

66 Fixed Gear and Singlespeed Shop in St. Pete Closed

I'm sorry to see that Michael Davis has closed his 66 Fixed Gear and Singlespeed bike shop on 1st Avenue in St. Petersburg. Mike opened the shop in 2007 and it became a favorite for the fixie crowd in St. Pete, but Mike told Bicycle Retailer that he was burned out.

I saw Mike just yesterday at the former 800-square-foot shop and it looks like he's liquidating the business. Mike said he expects to swing by the SWFBUD Swap Meet at the Taco Bus St. Pete on Feb. 19 from 11 am to 3 pm.

Bicycle Retailer has more on the store closing here.

Just last week I saw Bill Addler, who is closing Revolution Bicycles in St. Petersburg.

Gasparilla Childrens' Bike Rodeo Needs Volunteers

It's time again for the Gasparilla Childrens' Bike Rodeo Saturday and they need volunteers!

The Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Rodeo, presented by the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee of Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, is a chance for you to help teach the children of Tampa Bay the important bicycle/pedestrian safety skills they need to know in order to be safe biking and walking members of our community!

If you volunteer you'll either be helping with passing out and fitting helmets, or leading kids through one of the stations in the safety obstacle course!

This event is free to all children, and each child participating in the safety course will first receive a free bicycle helmet to keep (until they run out)!

Volunteers should arrive between 9:30 - 10am for training and to help set up. The actual event is from 11am-2pm. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for USF volunteers!

A New Sight on Bayshore Blvd: New Bike Lane

Great to see the city of Tampa install bike lanes on Bayshore Blvd. starting from Platt Street.





The bike lanes run from Platt Street to Rome Avenue. How more bike lanes extended from Rome Ave. to Gandy?

Hit-and-rin Driver Kills 23-year-old Bicyclist in Zephyrhills

More tragedy on Tampa Bay's roads. Another bicyclist was killed, a 23-year-old in Zephyrhills killed by a hit-and-run driver.

Bicyclist and Actor Gene Hackman Hit By Pickup in Florida Keys

81-year-old Gene Hackman was riding his bicycle in the Keys when -- surprise, surprise -- he got hit by a pickup.

A CNN story said Hackman was biking without a helmet in Islamorada when a Toyota Tundra hit his rear tire.

The CNN story cited a state highway patrol report that said Hackman was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami with "serious" injuries.